Robotic Weight-Loss Surgery

Overview & Benefits

The goal of weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery) is to reduce the body's ability to absorb and store calories. This result is achieved by using either restrictive or malabsorptive bariatric procedures.

Restrictive procedures reduce the size of the stomach, limiting the volume of food that can be consumed at one time. Restrictive procedures include adjustable gastric banding (AGB) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) – although gastric bypass is also malabsorptive as well.

Procedure

While conventional laparoscopy is the most widely used approach for gastric bypass today, not all patients are considered candidates for traditional laparoscopy. Surgeons may determine that patients who are extremely obese, who have had previous abdominal surgery, or have complicating medical problems require a traditional open approach. The da Vinci® System has been proven to help surgeons overcome these challenges with improved ergonomics, instrumentation and visualization.

Is surgery for you?

Bariatric surgery may be the next step for people who remain severely obese after trying nonsurgical approaches, especially if they have an obesity-related disease. Surgery to produce weight loss is a serious undertaking. Anyone thinking about undergoing this type of operation should understand what it involves. Visit www.mtmcweightloss.org for more information on the Bariatric Center at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital.

Remember: There are no guarantees for any method, including surgery, to produce and maintain weight loss. Success is possible only with maximum cooperation and commitment to behavioral change and medical follow-up—and you must maintain this cooperation and commitment for the rest of your life.